Senator Chuck Schumer today urged members of the US Congress to do everyting in their power to pass the emergency funding bill that would allocate $1.9 billion towards fighting the zika virus menace.
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Schumer noted that, with clinical trials of the Zika vaccine underway, “a real shot” at a vaccine is possible, but is hindered by congressional recess rather than approval of emergency funding. “This emergency funding package is an investment because the cost of doing nothing – which is what we are doing right now while Congress is on recess – will cost us even more in both dollars and in health consequences”.
Scott said he asked U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Thomas Frieden earlier this week for 10,000 additional Zika preparedness kits. At this time, the Florida Department of Health believes that active transmission of the Zika virus occurred in one small area in Miami-Dade County, just north of downtown.
State officials say there have been 537 confirmed cases of Zika in NY so far, though all appear to be connected to travel to affected areas.
Abortion politics played a central role in the impasse.
Dozens of lawmakers have urged Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to reconvene Congress and immediately address the Zika threat, but McConnell said he’s in no rush to do so and has criticized Democrats for refusing to pass the exiting bill. They are now placing several surveillance systems around the base and housing areas to trap mosquitoes and test for the virus.
“You control the mosquitos and you can stop an outbreak”.
“We still need the federal government to show up, the president and Congress have to work together and this is an worldwide issue, not just a Florida issue”, he said.
“We haven’t had any cancellations at all for the Florida area”.
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Anthony Fauci told “The Cats Roundtable”, in an interview aired Sunday on AM 970, that he would fear for his three young adult daughters. “They breed very voraciously and robustly in standing water”, he said.
